Monday, October 14, 2019 will be a federal holiday in the District of Columbia. This means the USPTO will be closed. This means that any action that would be due at the USPTO on October 14 will be timely if it is done by Tuesday, October 15, 2019.
The Hague system will enter into force for Viet Nam on December 30, 2019.
As of December 30, 2019, companies and designers from Viet Nam can begin using the Hague System to protect their industrial designs. The applicant can pursue protection in many countries through a single international application and a single set of fees.
Likewise from December 30, 2019, those located outside of Viet Nam will be able to seek design protection in Viet Nam through the Hague System.
I had blogged on October 21, 2017 that Viet Nam was getting ready to join the Hague Agreement and indeed now it has happened.
Viet Nam joined the Patent Cooperation Treaty on March 10, 1993 and joined the Madrid Protocol on July 11, 2006. Viet Nam thus completes the trifecta of membership in all three international intellectual property filing platforms.
On Wednesday, October 2, 2019 Samoa deposited its Instrument of Accession to the Hague Agreement.
The Agreement will enter into force in Samoa on Thursday, January 2, 2020.
This brings to 72 the number of contracting parties to the Hague Agreement.
As of January 2, 2020, companies and designers from Samoa can begin using the Hague System to protect their industrial designs. The applicant can pursue protection in many countries through a single international application and a single set of fees.
Likewise from January 2, 2020, those located outside of Samoa will be able to seek design protection in Samoa through the Hague System.
Samoa will join the Patent Cooperation Treaty on January 2, 2020 and joined the Madrid Protocol on March 4, 2019. Samoa will thus complete the trifecta of membership in all three international intellectual property filing platforms.
On Thursday, October 3, 2019 Israel deposited its Instrument of Accession to the Hague Agreement.
The Agreement will enter into force in Israel on Friday, January 3, 2020.
I blogged back on October 21, 2017 that Israel was going to join Hague Real Soon Now, and finally it has happened.
This brings to 73 the number of contracting parties to the Hague Agreement.
As of January 3, 2020, companies and designers from Israel can begin using the Hague System to protect their industrial designs. The applicant can pursue protection in many countries through a single international application and a single set of fees.
Likewise from January 3, 2020, those located outside of Israel will be able to seek design protection in Israel through the Hague System.
Israel joined the Patent Cooperation Treaty on June 1, 1996 and joined the Madrid Protocol on September 1, 2010. Israel has thus completed the trifecta of membership in all three international intellectual property filing platforms.
USPTO says that if you check this box, the second authentication factor will not be not needed during signin for the next 24 hours.
This is, of course, false. Or more accurately, it is almost always false. The check box does occasionally save the USPTO customer from having to carry out two-factor authentication when logging in to a USPTO system. But usually it does not work. Continue reading “Does this check box ever actually work?”
Right on schedule, the National Institute of Industrial Property of Argentina (“INPI-AR”) has indeed today joined the DAS system. INPI-AR is now operating as an Accessing Office in DAS with respect to patents and utility models and industrial designs. Here is an excerpt from an exemplary Certificate of Availability from DAS showing availability of a design application:
Yet another intellectual property office has joined DAS for industrial designs. IP Australia will become both an Accessing Office and a Depositing Office for designs on November 1, 2019.
This brings to nine the number of Depositing Offices for designs. This brings to eight the number of Accessing Offices for designs. The Accessing Offices for designs are:
In this blog article I will introduce the reader to a USPTO initiative for US design patent applications called “rocket docket”. (The formal name for this initiative is “exepedited examination for designs”.) Using this initiative, a successful applicant might get a case allowed in less than a month. What are the pros and cons of using rocket docket? Continue reading ““Rocket docket” for US designs”
Now comes the news that on January 1, 2020, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property will turn off its fax machine. Continue reading “Still another fax bites the dust”
Yet another intellectual property office has joined DAS for industrial designs. IP Australia will become both an Accessing Office and a Depositing Office for designs on November 1, 2019.